Conjoint armature-contact plate relay



p 7, 1965 T. w. DRIESCH ETAL 3,205,324

CONJQINT ARMATURE-CONTACT PLATE RELAY Filed Jime 14, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR DRIESCH MCFARLAND THEODORE W.

GEORGE L.

Sept. 7, 1965 T. w. DRIESCH ETAL 3,205,324

CONJOINT ARMATURE-CONTAGT PLATE RELAY Filed June 14, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet2 III-III] W 30 31 21 lmmmg y INVENTOR THEODORE W. DRIE SCH GEORGE L.MCFARLAND United States Patent 3,205,324 CONJOINT ARMATURE-CONTACT PLATERELAY Theodore W. Driesch, Roanoke, and George L. McFarland, Salem, Va.,assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York FiledJune 14, 1963, Ser. No. 287,836 4 Claims. (Cl. ZOO-87) This inventionrelates to electromagnetically operated contactors or relays for openingand closing relatively heavy current carrying circuits.

More particularly this invention is directed to a direct current, lowvoltage contactor having provisions for dissipating heat rapidly fromthe contact making and breaking element.

Low voltage, direct current motor driven devices frequently require theinterruption of relatively high values of current. This is especiallytrue with battery operated trucks and similar devices due to repeatedstopping, starting and reversing. Electromagnetic or solenoid operatedcontactors customarily used in this type service are required to be ofrugged construction and reliable operation and at the same time low incost. Furthermore, since battery operated trucks and the like areoperated under many different conditions and environments where expertmaintenance personnel may be unavailable, most components of thesevehicles are required to be of simple construction and arrangement ofparts.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved direct currentcontactor that is of simple and rugged construction and economical tomanufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a. direct currentcontactor having contacts capable of a high rate of heat dissipation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an electricalcontact making and breaking device having a minimum of precious metalmaterial.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a floating, clapper typearmature driving a contactor plate through a spring coupling and araised portion on the armature face to obtain a wiping action betweenthe fixed contacts and the contactor plate.

The invention is set forth with particularity in the appended claims.The principles and characteristics of the invention, as well as otherobjects and advantages are revealed and discussed through the medium ofthe illustrative embodiments appearing in the specification and drawingswhich follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the contactor.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of the top part of FIG- URE 2, and showsdetails of the contact structure of the contactor.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded view (in perspective) of the contactor.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the armature member of the contactor.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 5, particularly, the contactor is made upof an insulated base 10 surmounted by a metallic base 11 to which isattached a U-shaped core 12, the latter being fastened by a screw 13(see FIG- URE 2), which also secures a cylindrical core member 14 to theinside of the U-shaped core, thereby providing a so-called E-shaped corestructure. A Winding 15 is provided for the cylindrical core member. Thesides of the U-shaped core 12 also provide for the mechanical mountingof a pair of insulated plates 16 and 17 secured "ice by screws 18 (seeFIGURE 2), slots being cut through the plates 16 and 17 to accommodatethe remainder of the contactor assembly. Referring now to FIGURE 5, apair of metal terminal strips 19 are force fitted into the lowermostslots (slanted) of the end plates 16 and 17,

these strips being electrically connected to the ends of the winding 15to provide terminals for energizing the contactor. Two pairs of metalstrips 20 and 21, respectively, are force fitted into the fourhorizontal slots near the tops of the plates 16 and 17, these stripscarrying block contacts 22 of precious metal as well as terminalconnections thereto.

The contactor is provided with a floating armature 23 (see also FIGURE6) which coacts with the core members 12 and 14, being guided andcontained loosely within a pair of vertical slots 24, one in each endplate 16 and 17, via projections 25 and 26 of the armature 23. A' raisedportion, or button, 27 is formed upon the top side of the armature 23,together with a post 28, both of these cooperating with a contactorplate 33, the button 27 acting directly therewith and the post 28, whichpasses loosely through an opening in the plate 33, via a spring 30clamped between the plate 33 and a bearing washer 31 and lock washer 32fitted into a groove near the top of the post 28 (see also FIGURE 4). Aprojection 29 on the contactor plate 33 is guided and contained looselyin the vertical slot 24 of the end plate 17. The winding 15 may beformed upon a spool having a flange 34 to provide the backing for anarmature return spring 35 par-' The operation of the contactor is bestillustrated by reference to FIGURES 2 and 4, the former showing thecontactor in its de-energized state and the latter in its energizedstate. Normally the armature 23 is urged upwards by the spring 35 tobear against contactor plate 33 via the button 27 and the top of thearmature, thereby forcing plate 33 against contacts 22 of the strips 21to establish a circuit continuity (see also FIGURE 3) between theterminal conncctions formed thereby; i.e., the normally closed contacts.When the winding 15 is energized the armature is magnetically drawndownward to the ends of the U-shaped core 12 and the core member 14 sothat the post 28 carried by the armature 23 forces contactor plate 33via spring 30 into contact with contacts 22 carried by strips 20 toestablish circuit continuity therebetween, i.e., the normally opencontacts. It is obvious that by electrically connecting either of thestrips 21 to either of the strips 20 a transfer type of operation of thecontactor may be effected, the connected strips being the commonterminal and the remaining unconnected strips being, respectively, thetransfer terminals.

A wiping action of the contacts 22 with the plate 33 is obtainedwhenever the winding 15 is energized or deenergized due to thearrangement of the button 27 on the armature 23, the floating plate 33,and the vertical slots 24 through which the projections 25 and 26 of thearmature 23 extend. For example, when the winding 15 is energized thearmature 23 is drawn downward; however, the end of the armature havingthe projection 25 (see also FIGURE 6) is drawn downward first since thebutton 27 normally retains that end of the armature closer to the core12 than the other end of the armature. Consequently, when the spring 30,which is attached to the post 28, acts upon the plate 33 it is pivotedin its movement so that it wipes over the contacts 22 on the strips 20until it is finally seated against them. When the winding 15 isde-energized the action is reversed so that the plate 33 wipes thecontacts 22 upon the strips 21 until it is finally seated in the fullyde-energized position. A

unique wiping action of the contacts is thereby obtained Whenever thecontactor is energized or de-energized.

In addition to the unique wiping action of the contacts, however, thecontactor plate 33 provides heat dissipation of a very 'high order inrespect to current carrying capacity since only a small portion of theplate actually carries high current density, the remainder of the plateproviding a cooling zone. This novel contactor plate also otters thefurther advantage in the dissipation of contact heating since thecurrent paths for making and breaking occur at opposite ends of theplate thereby providing another novel means of dissipating heat of thecontacts.

While the invention has been explained and described with the aid ofparticular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that the inventionis not limited thereby and that many modifications retaining andutilizing the spirit thereof without departing essentially therefromwill occur to those skilled in the art in applying the invention tospecific operating environments and conditions. It is thereforecontemplated by the appended claims to cover all such modifications asfall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical contactor comprising an armature, a core and a windingon said core for actuating said armature, a plurality of contacts, afloating, movable plate for coacting with said contacts to establishpredetermined paths through said plate, a coupling between said armatureand said plate to provide conjoint movement of the latter against saidcontacts with the former upon its actuation, and a projection upon saidarmature coacting with said plate for disrupting said conjoint movementto an extent whereby said plate wipes over said contacts.

2. An electrical contactor comprising an armature, a core and a windingon said core for actuating said armature, a plurality of contacts, afloating, movable plate for coacting with said contacts to establishpredetermined paths through said plate, resilient means attaching saidplate to said armature normally retaining said plate against saidarmature to produce movement of the former into contact with saidcontacts upon actuation of the latter, and a projection upon saidarmature interposed against said plate to provide a sliding action ofthe latter over said contacts when said armature is actuated.

3. An electrical contactor comprising a floating, movable armature,means for constraining the movement of said armature withinpredetermined limits, a core and a Winding thereon for actuating saidarmature, a plurality of contacts, a floating, movable contact plateoperative by its movement against said contacts to establishpredetermined electrical paths through said plate, and resilient meanscoupling said plate to said armature for conjoint movement thereofwithin said limits when said winding is energized.

4. An electrical contactor comprising a floating, movable arrnature,means for constraining the movement of said armature Withinpredetermined limits, a core and a winding thereon for actuating saidarmature, a plurality of contacts, a floating, movable contact plateoperative by its movement against said contacts to establishpredetermined electrical paths through said plate, and resilient meansconnecting said armature and said plate for coordinating the operationof the latter and the former within the said predetermined limits.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 649,102 5/00-Plechtenmacker 200-93 2,391,692 12/45 Estes 20087 FOREIGN PATENTS1,266,541 6/61 France.

BERNARD A. GILI-IEANY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCI-IAEFER, Examiner.

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONTACTOR COMPRISING AN ARMATURE, A CORE AND A WINDINGON SAID CORE FOR ACTUATING SAID ARMATURE, A PLURALITY OF CONTACTS, AFLOATING, MOVABLE PLATE FOR COACTING WITH SAID CONTACTS TO ESTABLISHPREDETERMINED PATHS THROUGH SAID PLATE, A COUPLING BETWEEN SAID ARMATUREAND SAID PLATE TO PROVIDE CONJOINT MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER AGAINST SAIDCONTACTS WITH THE FORMER UPON ITS ACTUATION, AND A PROJECTION UPON SAIDARMATURE COACTING WITH SAID PLATE FOR DISRUPTING SAID CONJOINT MOVEMENTTO AN EXTENT WHEREBY SAID PLATE WIPES OVER SAID CONTACTS.